Finn seals emphatic win

Steven Finn again caught the eye of England's chairman of selectors Geoff Miller with a stunning haul of 4 for 19 to help ease Middlesex to an emphatic innings and 35-run win over Derbyshire in their County Championship Second Division match at Lord's.

Despite being a former Derbyshire player Miller watched from the Middlesex dressing room balcony as the 21-year-old from Watford ripped through Derbyshire's top-order to dismiss them for 143 and clinch victory with four sessions to spare.

Having played both Tests on England's winter tour of Bangladesh, Finn strengthened his chances to win his third cap against the same opponents back at St John's Wood in a fortnight's time. In two fiery stints from the Pavilion End, Finn put the result beyond doubt as Derbyshire, batting for a second time by 11.30am having conceded a first innings deficit of 178, capitulated within three hours.

The gangly right-arm firebrand made the first breakthrough in his fourth over when Wayne Madsen (two) fended at a lifter to steer a comfortable catch to Owais Shah at third slip. Two balls later Paul Borrington (duck) played around a shooting off-cutter to go leg before.

Having already taken a blow on his right glove when attempting to drop his hands on another spitting delivery from Finn, Derbyshire skipper Chris Rogers attempted to pull a good length ball from Tim Murtagh only to sky a catch to Scott Newman at cover point and went for 10.

The slide gathered momentum when Greg Smith (eight) aimed to on-drive a Finn off-cutter and edged low to first slip where Andrew Strauss pocketed a sharp chance to his right then, just before lunch, Garry Park (19) allowed a Gareth Berg in-ducker through the gate.

Four overs after the interval Berg bagged another when John Sadler (five) pushed away from his body when following a lifter to be caught behind then, in the next over, Iain O'Brien trapped Lee Goddard (one) leg before on the back foot and flush in front.

Finn replaced Berg and was soon back amongst the wickets when left-handed Tom Lungley (four) was drawn into one angled across him to again edge to the wicketkeeper John Simpson. Derbyshire's plight would have been even worse but for a counter-attacking 59 from 55 balls by debutant left-hander Chesney Hughes, who hit nine fours and a six to dominate a ninth-wicket stand of 72 in 12 overs with Tim Groenewald (27).

Hughes, the 19-year-old from Anguilla, doubled his side's score but lost Groenewald to Shaun Udal's fifth ball of the day when he skied a catch to deep square leg. Last man Mark Footitt (duck) was then yorked by Murtagh to wrap up a second-successive Middlesex win after they beat leaders Sussex last time out.

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